New Scientific Discoveries of Fish Raise Looming Ethical
Questions

[Ed. Note: All-Creatures.org has provided a directory of articles and videos
about the realities of some of the wonderful beings who live in water and
how they are abused by humans...FISH! We think
it's important to remind people that animals who live in the oceans are
sealife...not seafood.]

Researchers have discovered that they have the
same ability to, not only feel pain, but also be conscious of the pain they are
feeling (like us) and, therefore, should be considered “sentient” beings like
other mammals and birds. Animal cognition is a very big deal since even
cognition in the human brain is still not totally understood!

It’s worth mentioning that the study of animal neurobiology, cognition and
behavior is in its infancy. That means much of what we based our understanding
of animal intelligence on up to now has been anecdotal rather than factual. A
typical scenario is a farmer or fisherman unable to detect signs of pain in a
farm animal or fish and therefore concluding that no such pain, fear or
suffering exists. But the scientific study of animals is proving more and more
that animals have far greater cognitive ability than we ever understood. Since
animals suffer mostly in silence and even hide their pain, this is not a
surprising discovery.

The latest major study coming out of Germany reports this week in Der Spiegel
on the subject of fish cognition, concluding that fish are not at all the mere
“reflex mechanisms” that we long thought of these lower invertebrates. What’s
new? Researchers have discovered that they have the same ability to, not only
feel pain, but also be conscious of the pain they are feeling (like us) and,
therefore, should be considered “sentient” beings like other mammals and birds.
Animal cognition is a very big deal since even cognition in the human brain is
still not totally understood!

According to the Der Spiegel article, “a Spanish research team was even able
to identify an area of the goldfish brain that appears to serve a function
similar to the limbic system, the region of the human brain that becomes highly
active when people experience fear or pain. As with mammals, these cerebral
receptors in fish consist of a number of anatomical structures: Incoming signals
to the amygdala are processed by an emotional filter, while the hippocampus is
for memory, but also plays a key role in spatial orientation.”

Discoveries like these and others have huge implications for fisheries and
even sport anglers. If we follow the scientific logic, fish are no less worthy
of humane treatment than sheep, pigs, cows and chickens. That means the practice
of hooking a fish and reigning it in would be considered cruel and inhumane,
causing needless suffering to the fish. And the widespread commercial practice
of hauling thousands of live fish out of the oceans and on to boat docks to let
them die a slow and painful death would also be considered unacceptable
suffering.

It seems clear that such discoveries will provide the evidence that animal
protection organizations will need to advocate for improved welfare standards
for fish and other sentient beings and make them law. Germany, for instance,
already has animal welfare laws that cover fishing and the EU Commission’s
review recently concluded that “”From studies of sensory systems, brain
structure and functionality, pain, fear and distress, there is some evidence for
the neural components of sentience in some species of fish.”

Of course these new insights into fish are not going over well with either
fishing enthusiasts or the commercial fishing industry who characterize the new
scientific discoveries as a conspiracy against them. And like their counterparts
in the animal agriculture industry, they will fight back with their own brand of
science, funded by them and designed to negate what they see as an attack on
their livelihood. So expect to see a lot of controversy over this issue in the
months and years to come.

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